Improvement in rotary engines



7 Sheets--Sheet 1.

W.. R. MANLEY. Rotary Engines. N0. 152,0'i21`2-.. l Patented .lune 16, 1874I YShee'fs--Sheet2` W. R. MANLEY.A

Rotary Engines. 910.152,042. A n PatentedJune16,1874.

7 sheets--sh'eer s. W. R. MANLEY.

Rotary Engines. N0.]52,042 PatentedJuneI6,1874.

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. Ru'tary Engines. l 'No.l52,042. Patentedlunemmm.

7 Sheets--Sheet 5.

W. R. MANLEY.l

Rotary Engines. l lvm-152,042, VPal'rentedJune'16,1874.

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QJi/'v a ik @2f if y ma y? UNITED STATES PATENT EEICEo IVILLIAM It. MANLEY, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 152,042, dated June 16, 1874; application filed September 20, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, NVILLIAM RoBINsoN MANLEY, of the city, county, and State of N ew York, have made an invention of certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines; and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description and specification of the same.

These improvements have reference to that class of .rotary engines in which two or more pistons are caused to revolve or rotate in a cylinder or case. The objects of the invention are, to enable such engines to work steam with a variable expansion, to reduce the friction and wear of the moving parts, and to prevent the escape of the fluid from the working cylinder. To these ends the improvements consist of certain combinations of instrumentalities, whichare specified at the close of this specification.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, I have represented in the accompanying drawing, and will proce-ed to describe, a rotary engine embodying all the said iinprovements in a good practical form, it being understood that some of the said improvements may be used without others, and that the engine may be greatly varied without ceasing to employ my invention in whole or in part.

Figure I represents an end elevation of the said engine. Fig. 2 represents a plan of the saine. Fig. 3 represents a vertical longitudinal section of the same. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 represent transverse sections of the same at the lines x x, g/ y, and z z, respectively, of Fig. 3. Figs. 7 and 8 represent views of detached parts of the engine, designated by the same letters of reference as the saine parts in the other figures.

The engine represented in the said drawings has a cylinder or case, A, which, in this example, is made fast to the bed-plate B. This cylinder forms a cylindrical cavity, in

i which the pistons C rotate. The pistons, in

this example, are six in number, and are connected radially with a hub, D, which is arranged to revolve within the cylinder yand eecentrically to the cavity thereof. The piston-hub I) is supported by the gudgeons E E, which are arranged to revolve in pillow-blocks F F, secured to the bed-plate B. The ends of the cylinder are closed by heads G, which are rigidly connected with the hub D, so that the hub, heads, and radial pistons all revolve or rotate together. The rinis of these heads cover the flanges h of the cylinder, and the joints between the two are packed, by preference, with metallic rings m, which are contained in ring-grooves in the cylinder, and are pressed toward the inner faces of the heads by springs inserted in the grooves behind the rings. Each piston O is constructed to slide radially in a slot in the revolving piston-hub, and the radial sides of the piston are packed (see Fig. 6) by means of metallic packing-bars, a, which are arranged in grooves at the opposite side of each slot, andare pressed toward the radial sides or faces of the piston by springs arranged behind the bars in the grooves. The outer edge of each piston C is provided with arocking shoe, b, which is connected with the piston by a pivot-joint, o, and revolves in contact with the inner surface of the cylinder, to which it adapts itself by rocking. In order that a slight movement of the piston relatively to the shoe may be permitted, the pivot of the joint is constructed with a plate-shank, (see Figs. 5 and 6,) which is received in a groove in the outer side of piston, and the shank is pressed outward by springs inserted in the groove.

In order that the pistons may be sustained against the pressure of the steam, the revolving cylinder-heads are grooved radially, and each end of each piston (in the vicinity of the cylinder-heads) is connected with a slide, I, which is constructed to slide radially in one of the grooves of the cylinder-head, so that the pistons a-re guided and sustained by the heads as the pistons slide to and fro in the slots of the piston-hub D. rlhe said pistonslides may be constructed separately from the pistons and secured to them, or may be constructed in one piece with their respective pistons, if deemed expedient. In order that the sliding pistons may be positively drawn out ofthe hub, the ends of the piston-slides Z are extended beyond the circumference Aof the cavity of the cylinder, and their extended ends are tted with friction-wheels c, which are received in guiding ring-grooves a, formed in the cylinder-flanges 7L, so that the action of the sides of the said ring-grooves upon the slides l causes them with the pistons to move properly as the pistons rotate. If preferred, slideblocks may be substituted for the friction-rollers e, each slide-block being connected with its respective slide by means of a pivot. The guiding-grooves a are not precisely concentric with the cavity of the cylinder, because, as the piston-hub D is eccentric to that cavity, the slides I are sometimes exactly radial to that cavity, and are at other times oblique to the Y radial lines thereof, and consequently, if the guiding-grooves were concentric with the cavity of the cylinder, the distance between the center of the sole of. a `piston-shoe b and the inner side of the guiding groove, measured along the longitudinal center of a piston-slide when in its oblique position, would have to be greater than the distance between the saine two surfaces when the piston-slide was radial. to that cavity. In order that the distance between the center of the sole pistonslioe and the friction-roller of the guidinggroove measured in the line of the piston-slide may remain the same in all positions which the piston-slide assumes, the guiding-grooves are made of the requisite cccentricity to the cylinder-cavity and of an imperfect elliptic form. 'Ilie precise form for this purpose is readily obtained by causing one of the pistons to revolve in the cylinder with its shoe pressed against the inner surface of the cylinder, and

by marking the track described by the center of the hole in the piston-slide 'for the pivot of the friction-wheel. The line thus described will be the central line of the guiding-groove, .from which the lines of its sides may be laid ont by measurement. Then the guidinggrooves are formed as described, the pistonshoes are held against the surface of the cylinder with practically equal pressure throughout their revolution. Steam is admitted to the cylinder at one side of its central diametrical linef j', Fig. 6, by the steam-ports d d1, which communicate with the steam-chest H, and the steam is permitted to escape at the opposite side of the central diameter through the exhaust-ports d2 d3 dL d5, which communicate with the exhaust-chest I. In order that the steam may be worked with a variable expansion, or, in other words, may bc cut off at variable portions of the travel of the pistons, the steam-port is divided into a series of openings, d, extending in the direction in which the pistons revolve from the first place, g, where steam is to be admitted to the farthest place, g', at which the steam is to be cut on, and a regulating-valve, s, Figs. 7 and 8, is applied to the outer oriices of these openings, so that more or less may be uncovered at will. The entrance of steam can take place only through the uncovered openings consequently, as soon4 as any one piston passes by those openings which are uncovered, the supply of steam to the last preceding piston is cut oli', and the period of cut-oit' may be varied by moving the cutoff-regulating valve s. The construction of cutoff-regulating valve and valveopenings thus described also enables the cut off valve to be used, if desired, as the throttle-valve of ,the engine; or it may be connected with the slide of a governor,so that the cut-off may be varied automatically. order that the admission of steam may be continuous from the commencement to the end of the portion of the movement during which steam may be admitted to act upon a piston, two series of steam-openings, d dl, of the divided steam port are provided, and the in-V ner orifices of one series are arranged horizontally opposite the spaces between the inner orifices of thel other series, so that the orifices of the two series alternate, and that the piston passing by said orifices will receive steam continuously from an opening of one series or of the other at every part of its revolution during which cut-off may be eiected. In order that the cut-oii valve s may be moved with facility, the cut-od' valveis constructed doublefaeed, or with faces at its opposite sides, and the outer orifices of the steam-port are a'rranged opposite each other, with the valve between them, as seen at Fig. 8, so that the steam-pressure at opposite sides of the valve is balanced; and in order that the seats in contact with which the cut-0E valve slides may be adjusted, one or both of the series of exterior orifices ofv steam-ports are constructed in movable plates yr, which are secured in place by screws. ltis desirable that the steam should. y

be permitted to exhaust as soon as it has attained the greatest expansion of which the engine admits. To this end the Vengine has an exhaust-port, d2, arranged at a 'distance from the exhaust side of the central diameter j equal to half of the peripheralfdistance be tween two adjacent piston -shoes, or thereabout, so that the exhaust will commence from the space j between two pistons when they are at about equal distances at opposite sides of the central diameter f, as represented in dotted lines in Fig. 6, at which time the variable space inclosed between the pistons is greatest. In order to permit the exhaust to continue to the last moment practicable, additional exhaust-ports d d4 d5 are used, so that the steam may exhaust through them after the exhaust through the first port d2 is cut oii by the passage of the piston over it.

For the sake of clearness in the drawing, the piston-hub D is represented as separated from the surface of the cylinder at the nearest point between the last exhaust-port and the iirst steam-port by a considerable space; but in practice the piston-hub is made so large that it just clears the surface of the cylinder, so that the dead space between the last exhaust-port and the first steam-port may be a minimum.

In order that the eccentric heads of the steam-cylinder may be kept warm head-jackets K K are provided. These are secured steam-tight to the flan ges of the cylinder, and

theyihave packing-bones tt at their central openings for the piston-shaft or gudgeons E,

so thatthe escape of steamer water from the` exteriorsof the two cylinder-heads at opposite 'ends of the cylinders, the spaces within the 'jackets are combined by a transverse equalizinglpassage, fw, through which steam can pass from one jacket to the other. y

In the engine thus described the cylinder is fixed to thebed-plate, and the piston-hub, pistous, Vand cylinder-heads revolve relatively to the said cylinder; but, it' deemed expedient, this arrangement may be reversed without avoiding my invention by constructing the cylinder tov revolve relatively toI the other members above named, which, in that case, maybe fixed to the bed-plate, or by constructing the cylinder to revolve in one direction, and the other members above recited to revolve in the opposite direction. y

The piston-hub D ofthe engine above described is, by preference, made hollow, and one of the gudgeons is made tubular, so that a pipe with a stop-cock may be connected with this gudgeon by a stuffing-box, for the purpose of permitting condensed water to escape, if desired. y

Vhen the cylinder is fixed, the power developed vby the engine is transmitted by one or more cog-wheels secured to one'or both of the gudgeous, or one or both of the gudgeons may be connected with a shaft or shafts.

Some of the improvements are applicable to rotary pumps and blowing-engines.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the cylinder, the piston-hub arranged eccentrieallyto said cylinder, the revolving cylinder-heads, the sliding piston, the rocking shoe at the outer edge of said piston', and the bar-packing between the radial face of the lpiston and the piston-hub.

2. The combination, substantially as before set forth, ofthe fixed cylinder and the cylinderheads, arranged to revolve eecentrically to the said cylinder, and provided with radial grooves for guiding and sustaining the pistons.

3. rlhe combination and arrangement, substantially as before set forth, of the cylinder, the piston-hub arranged eccentrically to said cylinder, the sliding pistons, the grooved cylinder-heads, and the piston-slides.

4. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the cylinder, the piston-hub arranged eccentrically to said cylinder, the sliding piston, the revolving cylinder-heads, the piston-slides, and the friction-wheels for the said piston-slides.

5. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the cylinder, the revolving pistons, the divided steam-port, and the cut-off valve.

6. The combination and arrangement, substantially as before set forth, of the cylinder, the piston-hub arranged to revolve eccentrically to said cylinder, the pistons and cylinderheads arranged to revolve with the said hub, and the head-jackets inclosin g the eccentric cylinder-heads.

7. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the cylinder, the piston-hub, the

revolving pistons, the revolving cylinderheads, the headjackets, and the equalizingpassage connecting the said jackets.

8. The' combination, substantially as before set forth, of the cylinder, the revolving pisw. n. MANLEY.

WVitnesses XV. L. BENNEM, W. H. Isaacs. 

